Motivating your team


Although people are motivated by different things, there are 4 which apply to most people, although different people will attach different importance to these. Daniel Pink explains it as follows:

  • Autonomy: People are happy to be given a goal, but would prefer to work towards it in their own way rather than being micro-managed.
  • Mastery: People want the opportunity to become an expert at something, and to have that expertise recognised by others.
  • Purpose: People want to understand the point behind their work, and what higher purpose they are contributing to.

I also think money is in the mix as well. People need enough money to live a reasonable lifestyle. They might have different financial needs at different points in their life.

As a leader, you need to motivate your team members. Although people have individual motivational needs, they are likely to respond to these generalisations.

Good practice is to ask people what motivates them. Some leaders are uncomfortable asking that as they feel they should know already, but It’s a great question to really get your approach right for your team.

Location: Reading, Royaume-Uni

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